Uncharted 3 To Focus on Fist Fighting and Characterization
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If you were one of the 1.5 million Playstation 3 users that had the chance to play the Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception beta this summer, you may have noticed that the developers have put a stronger emphasis on hand to hand combat. A recent interview with the game’s co-lead designer Richard Lemarchand says that this was a conscious decision by the Naughty Dog team. “With this game we decided to switch things up a little bit, and it has seen us shift the focus we have on the different elements of the gameplay. We’ve been talking about the way we’ve put an increased focus on the fist fighting in the game, because that’s an important part of pulp adventure. Most of the great pulp heroes are two-fisted sluggers. That gave us a great opportunity to try some new things in terms of game mechanics.”
The Uncharted titles have never fit into any particular genre because they offer the player a wide variety of gameplay. While the largest portion of the pie is comprised of shooting, the developers have integrated platforming, cut scenes, brawling, and puzzle solving to keep each segment of the story fresh. Even though the gun fights are top notch, the fist fights offer a rare back and forth experience that never grows old. Improving on the stealth takedowns of games like Splinter Cell and Metal Gear, Uncharted 3 has implemented a variety of realistic animations to aid Nathan Drake in his adventures. The fluid combat system truly shines when the character is climbing, dangling and swinging from the many interactive parts of the environment. Few games offer this variety of non-shooting violence in such an effective and engaging manner.
“I do think we are reaching a stage where the creative, where the ideas behind video games and the emotions you can evoke with video games are really coming to the fore. I’m interested in the indie scene and the art game scene, because I see it as the active avant-garde of video games.” “Indie games and art games are going to have a big impact on the mainstream of video gaming in terms of bringing new ideas to the table and demonstrating different things are possible both emotionally and also in the realm of game design.”
Like any good movie, what usually makes or breaks a good story is the strength of the characters. Drake and his friends have a distinct personality and presentation that even the most casual fans of Uncharted will immediately recognize. There’s a reason why gaming sites were running headlines of “Wedding Ring Spotted on Elena” and “Fans Demand More Victor Sullivan” in anticipation of November’s release. Naughty Dog has achieved a rare feat by creating characters that gamers will emotionally invest in. “We have said many times we went into the Uncharted series considering many video games are plot driven; the machinations of a space empire, or the fighting of dynasties in a fantasy kingdom drive the plot of many video games. That’s all well and good, but we saw an opportunity to drive the story forward with characters and the interactions between the characters, and that implies they have to have meaningful struggles with each other and meaningful relationships with each other. The love scenes have to be touching for you to really feel the love. The comedy has to make you laugh.” Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception will be released on November 1, 2011. Via Eurogamer |
Although gameplay of Uncharted 3 will ensure its prominence in the online multiplayer world, the cinematic experience of the story is what sets the title apart from the competition. Lemarchand has seen the success that the indie scene has achieved with a limited budget and an out-of-the-box mentality and is wise enough to appreciate their achievements.
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